Training Log Archive: jennycas

Event: Pewsey Vale OY
 

Hmm, what to say about this course? On the one hand, I'm sure the course planners tried really hard and I encountered only one misplaced control (and that not too badly) which may be a positive record for a TT OY event in rock detail, and the views were nice as were some of the control sites, but there were some godawful barren legs (across felled/cleared stuff, when we could have alternately spent more time in the native scrub) which I personally would have been ashamed of setting and the whole course was a bit of a mishmash. And a slog - my legs had nothing in them today and knees weren't working too well going either up or down, so I walked quite a lot of it, even on tracks I'm afraid. Also stopped to read the signage at and take a look inside Rossiters Hut on the Heysen trail which would have been a lovely spot when the pine trees were all around but now it's on a completely bare exposed saddle.

Reckon I'm even slower when there's no one else in the lane to 'draft'.

Since I'd parked next to the uni footbridge to get to a workshop in the city, a jog along the Torrens afterwards seemed logical. Headed upstream as far as the highways department - wanted to check out the new/revamped suspension bridge but turns out they haven't started work on it yet. Around Hackney Rd the bike path is blocked off in advance of roadworks; not sure what that will do to the half-marathon route next month. Also I saw some people trying to get a kite airborne, which is almost impossible when there's no breeze!

Cat-feeding, then pootled around CLG/Lower Mitcham, on the MTB.

C • So... 2

Was a little late tonight and missed the group. Don't know where they went but it wasn't to the redwoods - I had only the kangaroos for company. But that's ok, I don't mind being out by myself at night and legs felt better than yesterday.

Afterwards spent time looking at Robin's Ultralong courses while balancing tuppen'orth of kitten on my lap.

Finished a meeting in the city (some positive outcomes, but still kind of stressful) without enough time to make it worthwhile going back to work but before the traffic got horrible so I parked at Mitcham with the intention of running up Brown Hill while there was adequate daylight. Even the first 20 min along the creek felt pretty tough though and I couldn't face going straight upwards so took the Yurrebilla singetrack winding around the face of the hill, stopping to stretch & catch my breath about every 10 min. On the ridgeline are lots of cattle including quite small calves; the grass looks green now but the area's fairly overgrazed from back in summer. Came down the sheltered north face of the hill from the trig rather than on the main track, because it was getting vaguely chilly up there once sweat cooled on me.

Answered the question of whether I've used up 30 tickets yet since the end of September.

Sort-of tempo with the group, but what required effort for me was just a steady jog for Nick. Not sure why hamstrings were tight but probably from the long descent of Gully Rd on Sunday.